Non-harassment order statistics: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for:

1) How many non-harassment orders have been enforced by the government between October 2022 and October 2025.

2) How many perpetrators have been issued with a full, or interim non-harassment order or both ,between October 2022 and October 2025 where the victim for each order has been a different person.

3) How many perpetrators have been issued with a full or interim non-harassment order or both, between October 2022 and October 2025, where the victim for each order has been a different person and not related to the perpetrator.

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption(s) under section(s) s.17 (information not held) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why that exemption(s) applies are explained below. Regarding the first part of your request, the number of charges that resulted in a non-harassment order in Scottish criminal courts between October 2022 and October 2025 (both months included) has been extracted from the management information used to publish the Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services Criminal Disposals Dashboard (Source:  Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services Criminal Disposals Dashboard The data that we hold relates to offences that can be prosecuted in Scottish criminal courts. We do not hold data on NHOs issued in Scottish civil courts. However, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service may hold information on NHOs issued in civil courts.

The number of charges that attracted a Non-harassment order between October 2022 and October 2025 (inclusive) was 22,211.

Regarding parts 2 and 3 of your request, the Scottish Government does not hold information about victims, so we do not know if the NHO applied to one or more persons or if the accused was related to the offender. We approached Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) for help in answering parts 2 and 3 of your request and they confirmed that are unable to answer.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.